Religion and Society in Twentieth-Century Britain by Brown, Callum G.;

Short description:

During the twentieth century, Britain turned from one of the most deeply religious nations of the world into one of the most secularised nations. This book provides a comprehensive account of religion in British society and culture between 1900 and 2000. With a focus on the themes of faith cultures, secularisation, religious militancy and the spiritual revolution of the New Age, this book uses people’s own experiences and the stories of the churches to display the diversity and richness of British religion. Suitable for undergraduate students studying modern British history, church history and sociology of religion.

Long description:

During the twentieth century, Britain turned from one of the most deeply religious nations of the world into one of the most secularised nations. This book provides a comprehensive account of religion in British society and culture between 1900 and 2000. It traces how Christian Puritanism and respectability framed the people amidst world wars, economic depressions, and social protest, and how until the 1950s religious revivals fostered mass enthusiasm. It then examines the sudden and dramatic changes seen in the 1960’s and the appearance of religious militancy in the 1980s and 1990s.

With a focus on the themes of faith cultures, secularisation, religious militancy and the spiritual revolution of the New Age, this book uses people’s own experiences and the stories of the churches to display the diversity and richness of British religion.

Suitable for undergraduate students studying modern British history, church history and sociology of religion.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction 2. The Faith Society 1900-1914 3. Trench Religion 1914-1919 4. Christian Culture in Confusion 1920-1945 5. Faith in Austerity 1945-1959 6. The Sixties’ Secular Revolution 1960-1973 7. The Shaping of Secular Society 1974-2000